Tattoos as art explored in AI&G exhibit

8:23 PM,
May 3, 2013

Dennis Kurth of Irish Buddha Tattoo received Second Honorable Mention for 'Lighthouse.'

Written by

Ursula Erhardt

Are tattoos art? Viewers can decide for themselves after seeing The Art Institute & Gallery's current exhibition, "Art & History of the Tattoo," on view through May 10.

The show's 45 works, by 12 local tattoo artists, include photographs of tattoos on the arms, back or other body parts of the wearer (sometimes called the "collector"), designs for tattoos and a few independent paintings, drawings and prints with tattoo-like imagery. Text panels, interspersed throughout the exhibition, provide information about the history and practice of tattooing.